A Volunteering Invitation by Tammi DeVille

As this year draws to a close our newspapers, magazines and TV stations are filled with stories summarizing the year; fallen sports stars, economic downturns, presidential party crashers and the balloon boy. We see lists of the best movies, the most important people and the best (and worst) dressed celebrities. This year I started thinking about my own sort of year-end review and found myself with the inspiration goosebumps all over again.

For the past year I’ve been interviewing volunteers across the country for my upcoming book, Changing the World on a Tuesday Night. For a long time I’ve found a lot of fulfillment in my own life in helping out with good causes and I’ve been inspired by the people I met along the way. I wanted to put together a book that would highlight some of the fantastic people quietly changing the world and inspire others to do the same.

I interviewed a college student whose mom was a recipient of a Habitat for Humanity home. Moved by the organization, he now spends every Saturday morning building homes for others in need. I met a Chicago man who spends one night a weekteaching kids how to make healthy meals and a father in Washington DC who teaches guitar to at-risk youth.

From the satellite designer to the bank vice president to the bus driver, volunteering with big groups like the Red Cross to the group you’ve never heard of that finds families to watch guide-dogs-in-training on the weekend, ages 16 to 70 -- I met people who really are changing the world with their volunteering.

I have never had such an inspiring year.

I’d like to personally thank those of you I did not get to meet. I know you don’t do your work for praise or recognition, but in celebrating you and your efforts, we celebrate thevery best part of being human, our capacity to care and to give to our fellow man. I hope 2010 finds you volunteering again. I hope you bring a couple of friends. I hope that in celebrating the work of people like you, we inspire more people to find their own ways to give back.

It is the places and people with which we choose to invest our time that determine the quality of our lives. In these moments we find our sense of purpose, our fulfillment, our joy and an abundance of love and compassion in our hearts. The times when we give of ourselves are the ones that make our years worthwhile and our lives worth living. Ihope that in 2010, even more people find what you and I have already discovered about volunteering -- the moments you give away mean the most.

Thank you for all you have done that went noticed and unnoticed. Many people say they want to change the world. You have actually done it. You inspire us all to jump in and change the world in 2010, and beyond.

Arbor Day Foundation Plants more than 500 Trees to Honor Holiday Service

This holiday season, the Arbor Day Foundation and VolunteerSpot paired together to inspire local holiday service activities with our Giving Tree Giveaway and we couldn't be more touched and thrilled with the results. Several Bloggers joined us in spreading the word, and in communities from coast to coast, you are making a real difference in bringing joy and comfort to those in need!

To honor service leadership, Arbor Day Foundation will be planting a tree in a fire-damaged national forest for each volunteer leader that registered a new account at VolunteerSpot and told us about their holiday service activities. That's more than 500 leaders (that we know about...and many many more of you didn't tell us what good work you're up to.) Your service spans the gamut from coordinating Angel Tree / Adopt-a-Family programs in Asheville, NC that bring clothes and toys to families in need, to the Interfaith community in Hillsboro, OR who runs a winter emergency shelter for the homeless, to nonprofits in Kansas City hosting holiday parties for families in transitional housing, to Girl Scout troops from Minneapolis to Austin staffing gift-wrap stations at local bookstores to Charity Christmas Tree Lots in Atlanta and Boston, to toy drives in Brooklyn, and hundreds of churches and local community groups feeding the hungry over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We are inspired by your good work and celebrate your service. Our VolunteerSpot grove will be a lasting symbol of community action for many generations to come. Thank you local heroes and thank you Arbor Day Foundation for your generous gift of trees!

The National Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross helps the people of the community
prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies that may be local,
state-wide, national or international in nature. Today, our VolunteerSpotlight shines on Sara Jackson, who works with the Disaster Action Team (DAT) of the The American Red Cross, National Capital Area.

Please tell us about your organization.

Every local chapter of the American Red Cross has a Disaster Action Team, made up of community volunteers who devote their time and talents to responding to a variety of scenes at the neighborhood level, such as house and apartment fires, as well as flooding situations, as needed. We also assist first responders by canteening at large-scale disasters. The American Red Cross of the National Capital Area has four distinct chapter offices, each of which has their own localized DAT. In addition to assisting with scheduling for the DC DAT, I also serve as a shift lead and course instructor.

What are the volunteer needs of the organization?

Our DAT operates with a volunteer force approaching 75, and these members provide housing, food, and recovery assistance for anyone affected by a disaster, should they not possess the means (homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, landlord coverage, etc.) to begin the recovery process on their own. Most people unfamiliar with what we do can think of our work as being on a smaller-scale but with similar efforts as some of the national responses which the Red Cross has been a part of. There is a local DAT deployment 200 times per day nationally, and urban areas like ours average a proportionately higher number of responses annually due to population concentration. The Red Cross functions entirely on donated dollars from the American public, and as such, we are very conscientious with our resources.

What’s your day job and how did you get started as a volunteer leader?

I am currently employed as Director of Operations for FairWinds Partners LLC, an internet strategy consulting firm in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. My occasional involvement with the Red Cross goes back to assisting with disaster efforts after Hurricane Andrew, while growing up in Central Florida. I became involved again shortly after the events of 11 September 2001, as well as following the impact of Hurricane Katrina. Earlier this year, I learned of the Disaster Action Team opportunity for the first time, and began giving of my time on a more consistent basis.

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

Remember that change (such as moving from a printed / email scheduling system to online options) is always greeted with a little skepticism and fear of the unknown. Focus on the goal, and continually ask for feedback so that the negatives don’t build up behind-the-scenes. Progress will win over the late-adopters in time, and any time you can provide a better service to your clients and volunteers, it is absolutely worth it.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

We were in the process of resolving several issues with schedule management, and it was taking a lot of hours for our coordinator to assemble and disseminate an accurate schedule for our members. Our goal was to find something that would put the primary control for scheduling out to those most affected by the process: our volunteers. After quite a bit of online research, I discovered VolunteerSpot. After contrasting it’s offerings with those of several other services, we decided to give it a test-run, and haven’t looked back. While there have been hiccups and speed bumps, we have drastically reduced the amount of time it takes to get our schedule out, and increased visibility for our members. We’re very happy to say that we plan on continuing to use VolunteerSpot for the foreseeable future, and are thrilled at the prospect of expanding our use of the interface to include other opportunities for our volunteers.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know about your organization or volunteering?

Whether you have an hour a day, or an hour per year, get involved. Our communities depend upon our involvement and support, and though the donated dollar is a powerful tool, one-on-one interaction with those most in need cannot be replaced by funds alone. Take up a cause close to your heart; you’ll make a difference in countless lives, enhance your own with new skills and a sense of accomplishment, and call others to service by the example of your actions alone.

If you're inspired to get trained to help in local disasters, please click here and search for your local Red Cross Chapter.

We salute Sara Jackson and all the volunteer heroes out there supporting our communities! If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com

The Collierville Soccer Association (CSA) is an expansive collection of
dedicated men and women who give the gift of youth soccer to the Town
of Collierville, Tennessee. Like many youth sports leagues in communities across the country, CSA is also a rather large, extended family
of volunteers who coach recreational teams, referee, mentor, and assist in the running of the organization.

Please tell us a little about yourself and your role as a volunteer leader.

I am currently an officer for the Collierville Soccer Association, the largest soccer organization in Tennessee. We are a non-profit service provider for Recreational, Competitive and Special Needs players. To keep player fees at a reasonable level CSA hosts five soccer tournaments annually with 100 to 200 teams per tournament from around the country competing. Each of our tournaments are managed by 50 to 80 parent volunteers!

We find most parents are pretty busy these days, do you volunteer for other organizations, besides the soccer league?

I am active in several professional organizations for Marketing executives, my church and my kids schools.

How did you get interested in coordinating volunteers?

Like most of the folks reading this, I was volunteered by my good friends! I don't know if I dreamed about becoming a volunteer coordinator. =)

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot ?

It used to take me two weeks via e-mail to fill my volunteer schedules for each tournament. When we relaunched our website last year, we were preparing to design or buy an application for volunteer scheduling. Fortunately we did a quick search and found the VolunteerSpot site. VolunteerSpot
really took the load off of me as a coordinator and it also gives
our volunteers better service by giving them complete flexibility and
control.

What’s one piece of advice you have for parent volunteers out there?

I don't know that I am an expert in volunteerism (is that a word?)...but I continue to appreciate how many good people give their time freely to do good deeds. The work is largely thankless, but my advice is to stick with it. Local communities depend on citizen involvement.

What else would you like our readers to know?

If you are ever in Memphis, stop by to see our coaches, kids and parent volunteers in action. Most weekends you will find them on the soccer pitch!

If you are inspired to learn more about the CSA, please check out their website, here.

We salute Brad Cumings and all the volunteer heroes out there supporting our kids and making sports accessible for everyone! If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com

At VolunteerSpot, we know that several nonprofits and schools have recently added online donation capabilities. Author and fundraising consultant Gail Perry offers advice about how to ramp up online giving in the final weeks of the year.

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The most important -- and most critical -- giving season is upon us. And for many nonprofits, one out of every two gifts comes in the last three months of the year. Online giving is even more important at year-end. About 40 percent of online gifts are made in December. And 40-60 percent of those gifts are made the last two days of the year. Online giving brings in wealthier, higher-dollar and younger donors. AND the average online gift ($84) is much higher at year-end than earlier in the year ($67). Clearly, smart fundraisers want to be all over their online fundraising strategies. Use these tactics to zoom past your year-end goals:

1. Use multiple asks this month and multiple formats.

Repeating your appeal is always more powerful and successful than a single ask that goes out as a stand-alone effort. People are busy during the holiday season and they will need plenty of reminders. All donors have a different vision of how they want to help and how they want to give, so be sure to offer a variety of ways to support you with different giving opportunities.

"Avoid the crowds and shop at home" -- buy from our shop online and ship to those on your gift lists.

"Holiday e-cards for your family and friends" -- a green alternative that can promote your nonprofit AND carry a donation to your cause.

5. Focus on tax deductibility on Dec. 30 and 31.

Remind your donors that they can make a secure last-minute donation just in time for the tax deadline. But only send this after Dec. 26.

Check out this sample year-end email campaign that had three messages going out the last week of the year:

Dec. 23: a "holiday support" email

Dec. 29: an email emphasizing tax deductible giving opportunities

Dec. 31: a final "last chance to donate" email

6. Be sure your website is up to date and snappy.

Remember that over 65 percent of ALL DONORS will probably check out your website before they write a check or make a gift, according to Kivi Leroux Miller of nonprofitmarketingguide.com. Here's a list of the Top 10 Things donors want from your website. Be absolutely sure that your call to action is clear, concise and directive!

7. Understand your online donors and their quirks.

Make it easy for impatient online donors. If you make it difficult for them, they'll be gone--probably to another nonprofit's site. Remember that a majority of would-be donors never make it through the process to complete their gifts. Some stats show that 98 percent of visitors to an organization's donate page do not complete their gift.

8. Create an extra large "donate now" button.

Yes, size does matter. Try adding a photo on the inside of the button so that it has a human face. (Dogs and children are wonderful.) Check out Network for Good's three tips for the best donate button: make it big; put it above the fold, and create a simple, easy-to-use contribution form.

9. Make your donate page seamless and easy to whiz through.

Check out the "11 Deadly Sins of Donate Page Design" from Seachangestrategies.com. Be sure you avoid these common mistakes in nonprofit donate pages:

Cluttered Pages

Unintuitive layouts

Unclear directions

Too long, complex forms

Unnecessary fields

No address or phone number

Error messages are confusing

10. Finally, and probably the most important: test your own online donation process.

Ask a friend to make a donation and watch them as they go through the process. Ask them for feedback as they are making the gift. Ask them to find the site, and find the donate page - and see how easy - or difficult - it is. You'll learn a lot!

These strategies will help you zoom past your fundraising goals for year-end. Happy prospecting and may generous donors flood in to your site and your cause!

We launched VolunteerSpot with the mission of making it easy for anyone to coordiante volunteers, giving more people the power to make a difference in their local communities. We're very please to share a new website that makes it easy for anyone to be a citizen philanthropist and make a difference to people in need around the world. Please welcome guest blogger Dan Morrison, CEO of Citizen Effect.

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It is hard to believe that the holidays are here. Everyone filled themselves on turkey and are now hitting the shopping mall and jumping online to find the perfect gifts for the their loved ones. I think back to the best gifts I ever got (Mark Gonzales Skateboard from mom when I was 13) and the best gifts I ever gave (first edition Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities for mom... she cried). However, my most memorable holidays involved much more. Volunteering to deliver Christmas presents to kids in need. Serving food to the homeless. And spending quality time with family while doing something for the community. Those experiences and memories stuck with me, while the skateboards and sweaters just drifted away.

The best holiday was In 2006, I asked my friends and family to come together and raise $5,000 to build a well for a poor community in India. I was shocked when they started sending me $500 checks! I even got one from my high school English teacher! In January, we sent over the money and by June, the well was complete. 550 people has access to clean drinking water. But what shocked us all was the impact the well had on the community. Women were starting businesses. Before they were walking 4 hours for water, but now they had more time. One woman started a grocery store, another a flour mill. We were all forever connected to this project and community.

So this holiday season, Citizen Effect (www.citizeneffect.org) is helping families and friends come together to partner with a community in need to build small but life-changing projects. Families are funding childcare centers that improve a child's mental and physical development and allow mothers to work. They are building health clinics that reduce disease, biogas plants that provide clean cooking gas, and solar lighting that bring light to those without electricity.

I applaud all the tremendous good work you do in your own communities through VolunteerSpot and invite you to engage your friends and family to make an additional global impact this holiday season. We’ve made it easy!

Go towww.citizeneffect.org/projects and find a project you and your family believe in. Then the fun starts! Choose how you want to raise the money for the project. Here are some great ideas people are trying:

Family Gift – determine what you spend on gifts for the family and have everyone contribute that amount to the project.

Holiday Party – invite your friends and family over for some holiday cheer and rather than bringing a fruitcake, bring a donation

Holiday Cards – have a party, make holiday cards, and sell them at your school, place of worship or farmers market

Caroling – go caroling and collect donations

The world is facing serious challenges. Over 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day. 2 billion lack access to proper sanitation. A quarter of humanity don't have electricity. But these numbers are too large for any one of us to solve. But with a little attention and creativity, you and your family CAN solve the food crisis in one community and have a real and significant difference in the lives of others in our global community.

Tips and Information for Elementary School Success

VolunteerSpot was started as an online coordination tool to help busy parents be more active in supporting their children's education and activities. That's why when we learned about Otis Kreigel and his website, TheK5, we just had to share!

Otis has been a teacher for the past 12 years and recognizes that parents don’t have a lot of time but they want to help their kids succeed in school. To remedy this situation, he developed the The K5 website to share tips and techniques for helping children in grades K-5 -- he calls it 'Elementary Education for Parents'. We like that the majority of his time-tested advice is communicated through short, entertaining videos that give you a ton of tips and information quickly.

With state tests and end of semester exams right around the corner at many schools, we liked this video sharing Test Preparation tips for multiple choice exams. TheK5 videos run the gamut from preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences, to fun skill-building activities, to conquering family challenges like getting out the door on time in the morning. There is even a fun and timely video about Playing Hookey, covering which days NOT to miss and how to plan if you know your child will be absent. Some of the more popular videos are:

The K5 also has a traditional blog with quick tips on everything from The Three Rs, to great websites, important articles, printables and blog posts written by other experts in the field such as school psychologists, occupational therapists, chefs, literacy specialists, university professors and parents to help working with your child at home to be easier.

If you're a parent of child in elementary school or know someone who is, please head to TheK5 and check out the videos and resources - you'll be glad you did. You can also follow The K5 by signing up for their monthly email newsletter by clicking here. The K5 also accepts requests for topics and shares advice in a Q/A format – just email Otis [at] TheK5 [dot] com.